Buni Mai Mala

Mai Mala Buni (born 19 November 1967) is a Nigerian politician who has been serving as the governor of Yobe State since 2019. He was elected as governor during the 2019 Nigeria general elections under the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Buni was born on 19 November 1967 in Buni Yadi, Gujba, then North-Eastern State.

As it is with the tradition in Northern Nigeria, Buni started memorising the Quran at an early age under the tutelage of his parents and other clerics before his enrolment into Buni Gari central primary school where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1979.

After completing his primary education, Buni gained admission into Government Secondary School Goniri in 1979 and obtained the West African Examinations Council certificate in 1985.

While in active politics, Buni enrolled as a part-time student at the Espan Formation University, Benin Republic where he obtained a B.Sc. Degree in International relations in 2014. He holds a Master's degree in International relations from Leeds Beckett University, United Kingdom.

With a background in the family business of trade and transport, Buni also ventured into business at a very young age after completion of his secondary education. He obtained a Diploma certificate in 2012 from the College of Vocational Science and Technology.

Mai Mala Buni chaired the board of several companies, including MBG Integrated farms Ltd, MMB Petroleum and Chemical Company Nig. Ltd, MBG Construction and General Services Ltd, Buni Gari and Company Nig. Ltd, Bright View Capital Alliance Ltd, Subi Mega Global Solutions Ltd, Rehab Synergy Nig. Ltd, and First Integrated and Logistics Services Ltd.

He started his political journey in 1992 by contesting and winning a Councilor seat under the National Republican Convention (NRC) party to represent Buni ward in Gujba Local Government Area Council. He was subsequently elected as the speaker of the council.

In 2000, he became a senior legislative assistant in Nigeria's National Assembly. In 2004, he was appointed a member of the University of Uyo governing council. In 2006, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Advanced Congress of Democrats in Yobe State.

When the Action Congress party members in Yobe state formed an alliance with the Advanced Congress of Democrats, Buni was unopposed and elected Chairman of the Action Congress party from 2007 to 2010.

In 2011, Buni joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Yobe state and was appointed Special Adviser on Political Affairs and Legislative Matters to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

After the merger of political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni became the pro tem state secretary of the party in Yobe state and was elected the pioneer state Chairman of APC in Yobe state.

In 2014, Mai Mala Buni became the first elected National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress. His commitment to the party earned him a second term as national secretary in 2018.

During his tenure as national secretary, he was nominated, endorsed, and elected as the APC flag bearer for the 2019 Yobe State gubernatorial election. He was elected as the fourth Executive Governor of Yobe State with 444,013 votes, defeating Alhaji Bello Iliya of the People Democratic Party (PDP).

In June 2020, the APC national working committee was dissolved, and Buni became the chairman of the interim committee and extraordinary convention committee, steering party activities for six months, with the tenure extended in December 2020.

During his inauguration as governor, he pledged to ensure prompt payment of counterpart funds to UBEC, build more schools, improve education, and implement the Home Grown School Feeding Program.

As of April 2020, the state government spent over 2.1 billion naira on constructing seven model primary schools to decongest overcrowded urban schools.

Governor Mai Mala Buni has facilitated the return of many internally displaced persons (IDPs) by reconstructing their houses and providing livelihood support packages, supported by the African Development Bank’s APPEALS project.

In September 2020, he inaugurated the construction of houses for IDPs, funded by NNPC, SPDC, SNEPCO, and Total Nigeria Plc.

In the health sector, the government has constructed 53 out of 178 proposed functional Primary Health Care Centers, equipped with laboratories, pharmacies, and other facilities.

The state’s mass housing program includes 1,800 housing units in the first phase, with another 1,800 units planned for completion in the second phase.

In October 2022, he was conferred the Nigerian national honor of Commander Of The Order Of The Niger (CON) by President Muhammadu Buhari.